


Behold, a Woman: A D&D Character Backstory

by Zevorah



Category: Dungeons & Dragons (Roleplaying Game), Original Work
Genre: Baby making, Betrayal, Devils, Father Figures, Fiends, Gen, Identity Issues, Infernal Patron, It's my first work, Mind Manipulation, Moral Ambiguity, Secret Identity, Warlock Pacts, Warlocks, Wizard looking to get out of a tight spot, i'm trying my best to tag, magical transformation
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-18
Updated: 2021-03-18
Packaged: 2021-03-27 02:27:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,583
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30115740
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zevorah/pseuds/Zevorah
Summary: The long and winding tale of how Tess Moineau ended up in her warlock pact, as told by her Imp. On the surface she seems like the crafty daughter of a powerful wizard, but appearances can be deceiving. Her father's past led to her being in this situation, but Tess might be able to take control of her fate.This is my D&D character from a homebrew campaign, so if the lore's not the best, like, I tried. It's just for fun! It started out as a joke and then I went and made it serious.





	1. The Pact Insidious

# The Pact Insidious

Diogenes knocked at the door, and Eremis’s richly timbered voice echoed within. “Enter.”

The tension flowed through his wings as he flapped inside, yet Diogenes didn’t let it spread across his features. He wasn’t going to screw this up. “How’s it going, boss? Heard you wanted to speak to me.”

Eremis glanced up from the document he’d been examining and surveyed the imp with piercing amber eyes. He kept his abilities close to the chest, but Diogenes had the uncanny sensation like every inch of him was on display as the archdevil took his time in responding. “I have a task for you,” he said after a beat, and he gestured to the exquisitely carved basalt bench before his desk. “Sit.” His tone offered no explanation that his words missed, and Diogenes perched on the armrest of the bench obediently. 

It’d been a couple centuries that Diogenes had been working for Eremis now, and the imp thanked Asmodeus every day for that. Slogging through Avernus under Zariel’s command had been brutal. The time blended together into a fog that comprised of an endless battle with images of frothing demons striking down the lemures beside him to bobbing between battling standards delivering messages. It was sheer chance he’d been picked as part of a mission to signal a strategic retreat, but he knew he’d earned the slightly quirked brow in recognition from Eremis when he’d reported his success and the bit of scouting he’d managed to do in the resulting chaos. It wasn’t long after that he’d found himself transferred to Phlegethos in service to the archdevil away from the front lines of the Blood War. When he’d asked about it later, Eremis had merely shrugged; yet Diogenes knew that this archdevil was his ticket to advancement. For the first time in millennia, he could feel that he wasn’t going to spend an eternity as an imp.

Eremis kept his even gaze on Diogenes for a long moment. The archdevil sat comfortably in his natural form. The entire chamber was scaled to his ten-foot tall height and wingspan. Most of the time, Diogenes felt insignificant to his more powerful brethren. Not Eremis, though. When Eremis turned his gaze, Diogenes had the distinct feeling that it only landed on something worthy of it. Being locked in his gaze was thrilling in a way that filled Diogenes with confidence and dread at the same time.

Eventually, the archdevil spoke again. “Your ilk are unreliable, Diogenes.” The words hung in the empty space, no judgment in them, merely a statement of fact. One that Diogenes couldn’t especially disagree with, if he was honest with himself.

“Necessary, though.” Diogenes chanced a bit of a grin at Eremis.

“True,” the archdevil chuckled softly. “Imps serve their purpose as well as can be expected.” Eremis turned his sight back to the document before him. “I was dispatched to the Material Plane to handle a contract,” he said finally, and Diogenes leaned forward with interest. “A promising wizard. A brilliantly creative mind, but inexperienced. We have made a Pact Insidious with him and delivered on our end of the deal, but I want you to monitor his compliance.”

Straightening subconsciously, Diogenes nodded quickly. If Eremis was sending him, then he’d earned a reputation as loyal. And if he was loyal, and if he was successful … “I won’t let you down, boss. What’s the deal?”

“Hmm. Exchanging his first child for eliminating a blemish to his record.” Eremis turned the contract for Diogenes’s perusal. “Walter Moineau, human student of magic at the Towers of Aecion in Ianora. It would seem a rival outmaneuvered him and put his position in danger. Academia,” he sighed, shaking his head with a fond twist of a smirk. “Such high stakes, such power, and it all can fall apart with an indiscretion or backroom maneuvering. Merit only buys respect once, it would seem.” Amused, the archdevil began to point out relevant portions of the contract writ in gleaming red ink before him. “You can see he was clever enough to gain what he wanted with minimal inconvenience to himself. Outright rejected any attempt to gain his soul in favor of transferring an unborn child.”

Diogenes ran his eyes over the usual boilerplate typical of every contract until he reached the noninterference clause. It was noticeably light. His glowing eyes jerked back to Eremis, stunned. “Not clever enough to cover his ass, though.”

Eremis’s smug smirk widened into a pleased grin. “So confident, he was. I suspect he had an inflated sense of his own control of the situation. He agreed to the terms three times as we crafted the contract together, thinking I had allowed myself to be bartered down from his own soul. Belial himself would agree the contract was made in good faith.” He tapped the relevant section for emphasis. “I am bound to protect his progeny as it is carried to term, and I am not to take any action to endanger the child’s life until it finishes infancy and is subject to collection.” Leaning back in his chair, Eremis meets Diogenes’s gaze once more. “He has assumed a great many things to be true, it would seem.”

“Yeah, like the fact he can even get it up,” Diogenes cackled with delight. 

“He assumes more than that,” Eremis responded softly, tenting his fingers as he gazed intently back at his minion. “He assumes the barriers of Ianora to be as strong as they were, all devils must be summoned into the Material Plane, and he is incapable of leading to his own downfall.” The archdevil clucks his tongue in affected pity. “Not the first mortal to make these mistakes, and he will not be the last.”

“So, make sure he can’t fill his end of the bargain, then?” Diogenes stretched his wings in anticipation of flight as he readied himself to obey before stopping cold. “Whoa, whoa. Wait. Did you say Ianora?” The land had been long protected by divine wards, surely he’d misheard.

Eremis, however, nodded in response.

“Holy fucking shit,” Diogenes muttered to himself, eyes widening. “We’re able to be summoned there, now?”

Eremis gave another nod of his head, a smirk growing across his lips. “It would seem so. I was unable to do more than project a shade, but it was enough to judge the barriers weakened enough for imps to pass easily. Perhaps even I could fully travel there in the next few decades if it continues as such. Of course, Lady Fierna’s talents make this easier.” He pointed a crimson finger at Diogenes as he continued. “Do not underestimate him. Young he may be, but I believe he will prove a powerful wizard of his generation. Do not interfere with his studies. I want this soul in service to me.”


	2. Walter Moineau

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Diogenes sets about his task to spy on the human wizard.

Diogenes understood what loyalty meant. It meant obedience, but it also meant trust. It meant that the letter of the law wasn’t enough; you had to have the spirit in you too. Know your boss’s intent, and you can outperform anyone just following orders. 

He saw this well enough on the battlefield. If generals knew what the overall strategy was, if they knew the goals they needed to accomplish, it didn’t matter if things changed in the field. The smart could change, could adapt, and an unexpected loss could mean a greater victory if the greater devils could grasp the opportunity. The dumb brutes who could only process “charge” and kill, the Dregs Legion, they could never be counted on except to die where they were supposed to.

That kind of mindless obedience served Diogenes well at first. Zariel was wont to punish insubordination in the worst ways on the front line, and Diogenes wasn’t about to let that happen to him. At a certain point, though, he realized that it was the kind of service that never would capture anyone’s attention. The kind of service that would keep him in the dregs for eternity. Taking initiative was risky, but if you watched and listened, if you knew what the meaning behind the order was … well, you might get lucky. And someone might notice that.

When Eremis sent him into the Material Plane to watch Walter Moineau, it was the first time he was sending him out of the Nine Hells for an extended period on his own. He’d told him what he’d wanted, and he left it to Diogenes to accomplish the task. “I might only be able to slip an imp through the barrier,” he’d said, “but one rat can sink a ship if it nibbles in the right places.”

Of course, Diogenes wasn’t stupid enough to think it was all on him. He might be Eremis’s most trusted imp, but there was no way that Eremis wouldn’t hedge his bets any way he could. If the barriers weakened enough to send something stronger, then he would. No. If he wanted credit, then he had to be effective from the get-go.

First, he watched the human wizard. He spent most of his time in his animal forms rather than invisible; it seemed any student with the ability to cast See Invisibility wanted to show off they could, and Walter Moineau spent his days bent over books and scrolls with his fellow students. He was glad to talk about studies, but Diogenes noted he seemed hesitant to interact just for the sake of socializing. Small talk was kept to a minimum with Walter’s face knit tight with tension. Laughter only provoked furtive glances from Walter, and the infrequent invitations he got to drink went ignored.

That was enough to work with for Diogenes. It was clear that even though he was respected throughout the school now, Walter still burned from his near brush with irrelevance. His fingers grabbed at tomes hungrily as if he feared they might still be ripped from his hands at any moment. If Walter wasn’t supposed to have kids, then he couldn’t let his guard down; and Diogenes could make that happen. Letters from female colleagues who warmed up to Walter went missing. A stolen book made its way into the living quarters of a friendly acquaintance who was particularly persistent in socializing with young Walter. Diogenes shredded important scrolls and left an incriminating trail to a teacher’s assistant’s desk when she made Walter blush after complimenting the cut of his robes. He knew he’d succeeded when each perceived slight made Walter’s tone grow colder as he interacted with others.

After days of watching Walter study, Diogenes would spend his nights doing research of his own. He wasn’t too familiar with human anatomy beyond combat, and that wasn’t ideal when his enemy was a biological function. His time in Abriymoch meant he wasn’t exactly unfamiliar with sex as a whole, but now suddenly he couldn’t avoid it. Diogenes couldn’t decide which was worse: practical demonstrations or reading through dry books detailing the reproductive process. Either way, he got the leads he needed as he found alchemists peddling potions designed to curb fertility by overhearing cautious lovers or read a particularly valuable bit of information on the effect of certain substances on virility. Dosing his food and drink with pilfered ingredients was an inexact solution, but Diogenes felt a multipronged approach was necessary. Though riskier, he liked having the back up in case passions decided to override Walter’s carefully cultivated caution.

As the barriers weakened, Eremis sent a few more minions into Ianora to help with the task. He seemed impressed, however, with Diogenes’s plans. The spined demon he sent out was tasked with finding rarer ingredients, and the other imps listened in on midwives and doctors. Diogenes was still trusted with direct observation of Walter.

Years passed, and Diogenes found that Walter’s attention remained entirely focused on his work. His skills at manipulating matter and magic only grew, and though he could maintain professional relationships, he never seemed to have the yearning for romantic companionship that other mortals possessed. It made sense to him, in a way. Why would he be so quick to promise a child if he was looking forward to having one to love? Still, Eremis wanted him to be certain. Diogenes studied social interactions on his off time to see if there was something he was missing. Though he still didn’t completely understand what it meant to be mortal, he was starting to notice patterns in how they interacted. Fights between couples seemed to come down to basic principles in relationships, people made similar mistakes again and again. After a few decades, Diogenes could listen to a couple argue and know exactly why it’d happened and what was wrong in the relationship. It was like identifying a wine’s vintage and vineyard to him.

Around middle age, Walter seemed to grow uneasy. He made clumsy efforts to gain female attention, which Diogenes could reliably predict to fail. Though Walter was a highly talented and respected academic at that point and content in his life, the tension when he was alone told Diogenes he remembered the pact keenly. After three decades of interference, Diogenes and the rest of Eremis’s spies watched with glee as Walter struggled to make good on his end of the bargain to no avail. As he had all his life, Walter turned to books for aid rather than his fellow men. _C’mon, man,_ Diogenes would think as he watched him late in the night reading. _It’s not like there aren’t guys begging to brag about how they get laid. You’re never going to find the way to a woman’s heart … or other parts … in a book._

Eremis, however pleased he was during Diogenes’s reports, never grew complacent. “A careful touch is all that’s required, but we mustn’t let things get out of hand,” he’d told Diogenes once after he’d reported how Walter was now attempting to use his position at the school to woo students. “There’s few things as dangerous as a powerful, desperate wizard. We don’t want him wishing his way out of this.” 

“Of course boss, but you’re going to come out on top either way. Either you’re going to get a powerful wizard’s soul, or you’re going to get a baby you can train up good. Of course, I don’t do so good with kids, so I’m going to try my damnedest to get you an old man,” Diogenes had replied, more confident in the teasing tone he’d taken than he would have been before the mission.

“Of course,” Eremis had agreed with a wry laugh that hid a sharp smirk. “If you fail me, then I trust you will understand if you find yourself relegated to babysitting duties.” And thus, Diogenes’s resolve was strengthened.

Twenty years later, Diogenes felt more confident than ever in the success of their plan. Walter spent less and less time at the Towers of Aecion after purchasing some land outside of Oakfield for the construction of a private wizard’s tower. He’d made a string of unsuccessful attempts in nearly every town in Ianora and unnerved several women with his intensity and desperation. If he was isolating now, then Diogenes was reasonably sure he was close to giving up or looking for a way out of the pact altogether. Either way, it wouldn’t be long before Diogenes could go home. Maybe Eremis would even have him promoted once he got back. He could be bumped up as a spined devil for sure.

He was prowling around in rat form through the recently tiled halls of Walter’s tower when he noticed Walter was tenser than usual. The research must not be going well. _No shit, Walter. They don’t call it a Pact Insidious for nothing._ The Hold Monster spell hit him before he knew what was happening.

“Devil!” Walter bellowed, pointing at the Diogenes’s paralyzed form. Even in his seventies, he could still summon an extraordinary amount of energy when needed. “How dare you invade my sanctum?!” He held up a hand to cast another spell, but Diogenes broke free from his grasp just before he finished the incantation.

“Whoa, Walter, whoa! You got it all wrong!” He held up his tiny rat paws to defend himself, his mind buzzing with the shock of being discovered. “I got orders to check up on the progress, you think this is easy for my boss? He’s just as worried as you are! He’s got plans for that baby!”

Maybe the words of one anxious rat were enough to get through to him, or maybe he truly was giving up, but Walter’s spell dissolved in his hand. His hazel eyes flickered around the room frantically for a moment, then it seemed all the fight disappeared from his aging frame. Passing a weary hand over his face, Walter sat heavily in a nearby chair. “How … how do you think I feel? I’ve _tried_.”

Hesitantly, Diogenes crept closer to the chair. Every impulse was screaming at him to run, but he’d been seen and nothing was going to change that. All he could do was try to keep things from going sideways. He clasped his little rat paws and rest them on his paunch as he sat on his hindquarters. _Eremis would know what to do._ What was most important was that Walter didn’t end up turning elsewhere for a deal to get out of this one. He’d spent his entire magical career staying away from pacts or anything that would remotely suggest he was the type to consort with fiends, but Eremis was right. A powerful, desperate wizard was dangerous. “Look, I don’t know much about how babies are made,” Diogenes lied, “but maybe we can talk with Eremis about options.”

Walter looked over his hand at the rat with a furrowed brow in disbelief. “Options.”

“I don’t fucking know!” The rat Diogenes threw up his paws in exasperation. “Family planning ain’t my thing, okay? But maybe you can try summoning him and talking things through. You got a contract, after all, and he’s not allowed to hurt you. That’s more than you can say for any other sort of powerful being.” After a long moment, Walter nodded slowly. Diogenes scurried away as Walter stood, then followed cautiously at a distance as he seemed to make his way to the library in a daze. 

Hours later, Walter drew the lines and prepared the ritual to summon Eremis. Diogenes had kept his distance out of fear of being sent back to Phlegethos in a pool of sulfur, but he had spied one of the other imps gloating out of a nearby window at his being discovered. Eremis probably already knew what had happened. All his hopes of being elevated were so close to being dashed, but he was confident that he’d played the discovery as well as he could.

As Walter cast his spells and summoned Eremis, the first thing Diogenes noticed was that the archdevil started to appear in a shapeshifted human form. He was dressed in an impeccably tailored vest and trousers with a crisp white shirt that stood out against tanned skin and a dusting of dark stubble around his neck and cheeks. He held his hands clasped before him in a somber gesture, his amber gaze fixed on Walter with concerned brows. The second thing Diogenes noticed was how detailed, how solid he seemed. _The barriers must be weaker than I thought._

When the last words of the incantation finished, Eremis sighed heavily. “Walter. Walter, Walter, Walter. I’m concerned for you, my friend.” And then Diogenes watched in awe as Eremis stepped over the summoning runes and placed a comforting hand on the aged wizard’s sloping shoulder. He let out a squeak of surprise, his little rat eyes wide, and Eremis turned his gaze to him. A slow, gratified grin that exposed teeth too white against such browned skin spread across his face. “I see you’ve met my colleague.”


	3. The Parent Trap

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Walter, Eremis, and Diogenes renegotiate.

Being a fiend is _not_ a boring existence. It could be a terrifying, agonizing, tantalizing, and exhilarating existence, but it’s definitely not boring. Even when Diogenes was assigned to boring tasks like years-long stakeouts or running messages, he knew that things could turn from dull to dangerous at a moment’s notice. The ever present threat of anxiety kept him ready to fly, and the thrill of deception and capturing the unwary kept him in the appearance of relaxed confidence. Though being a devil was about maintaining order, chaos always kept close in ways that boggled the mind.

To the outside observer, the scene that Diogenes found himself in was absurdly domestic. Walter’s newly built tower came with a cozy kitchen. The room was silent save for the occasional clink of ceramic cups against saucers, the soft splash of tea lapping as it settled, and the quiet breathing and swallows of the unlikely tea party’s guests. Walter was an admirable host under the circumstances and laid a surprisingly good table with a lovely pink and white tea set that had belonged to his aunt. The tea’s scent was pleasantly aromatic, his scones had just the right amount of cinnamon, and Diogenes could honestly say that he’d never had fresher milk or butter. 

Despite the warm kitchen’s light and sweet smell of country cooking, no one could doubt something was amiss in Walter’s breakfast nook. Some might think the obvious indication was Diogenes himself. Even the most forgiving of villager might stop and question why Walter was buttering a scone for a rat sitting on a folded napkin with a saucer of milk and tea. In all fairness, he had tried to accommodate Diogenes as best as he could. Eremis had insisted that it was undoubtedly better than the alternative.

However, an argument could definitely be made for Eremis as the true odd one out at tea. A wizard and a small animal might be played off as some kind of magical shenanigans like an experimental polymorph or a favored familiar. Walter certainly looked the part in his frayed work robe over simple tunic and breeches. Eremis would seem more at home in some high court or stylish bistro by his silk shirt and trousers. His elaborately embroidered vest was a rich burgundy brocade that brought out the richness of his amber eyes. There were hints of incense and vanilla hanging about him, though Diogenes could pick the way Phlegethos clung to him in the way that smoke mingled with the other scents. 

Walter was quiet save for the easy conversation of hosting. Quick darts of his eyes revealed his suspicion whenever Eremis shifted with a low creak into his chair or when Diogenes had harrumphed in frustration that the milk pitcher dwarfed his rat form. To give him credit, Walter was doing a decent job of hiding the tension that held him in its grasp. Diogenes knew the man’s tells, though. His motions were too deliberate with just a brief pause between them, like the wizard was concentrating too much on perfection rather than acting naturally. After over fifty years of observing the man, Diogenes could tell exactly the level of stress that Walter was trying to hold back. A bit of stiffness wasn’t something to be worried about yet.

It was a power play. Of course. No matter how much of a handsomely human face Eremis could put on or how innocently meek Diogenes the rat could nibble a scone, the three of them knew where the balance of power rested. Walter would ever be the petitioner to their power. Eremis meant no threat, but he also never meant to reveal his hand. So, the archdevil complimented the lovely needlework on his grandmother’s tablecloth as he stirred another lump of sugar into his tea. The veneer of normalcy its own message, the seamless way Eremis acclimated to it unnerving in its own right.

“Might I trouble you for another one of the spiced cookies?” Eremis asked, sending a faint smile across the table to Walter. “They do complement the tea so well.”

Walter’s eyelid gave a slight twitch. “Of course.” He lifted the porcelain plate and passed it to Eremis. His lips thinned as he watched Eremis casually take the cookie and lightly dip it into the tea, as if the sight of the archdevil eating his food personally offended him.

_Do you think him ready to beg?_ Eremis’s voice wafted through Diogenes’s mind. The archdevil had been largely silent through the meal save for his initial telepathic advice to maintain his rat form.

Diogenes tilted his head thoughtfully as his ears flickered in consideration. _Not sure,_ he replied. _I think he’s really holding on to those options. No telling what he’ll do if he gets desperate. I figured asking you would keep you in the loop for his plans and prevent him from promising his soul elsewhere for a kid._

_A wise decision._ The archdevil’s compliment rang sincere in Diogenes’s mind. _I am unsure what options we can offer him, but if nothing else, the man was able to summon me here in corporeal form. That alone is a feat we can little repay him for, Diogenes. You have served me well._ Eremis gave no visual indication of his conversation with him, but he did slide a cookie onto the edge of his saucer. “Try it with the tea,” Eremis advised lightly.

The rare affirmation sent a jolt of shocked glee through the imp. _Thanks, boss._ He quickly busied himself trying to maneuver the cookie into the tea, but he kept his eyes on the conversation at hand.

Apparently, the sight of Diogenes awkwardly trying to dip a cookie twice the size of his head into a shallow saucer was enough to make Walter snap. He set his own teacup roughly back onto a plate and tried to collect himself. “… I’m sure you didn’t come all this way to have tea with me,” he stated through gritted teeth. Though tense, the words lacked any real anger.

“No,” Eremis admitted before continuing smoothly, “but it _is_ such a rare occurrence. I’d be remiss not to take advantage.” He flashed another grin of perfectly white teeth against umber skin. “But, I would not be an improper guest. Not to an old friend.” He held out a hand to Walter with a gracious nod of his head before shifting to sit up straight in the oaken kitchen chair. “Now, tell me what’s troubling you. It must be serious indeed that you’d come to me.” Diogenes couldn’t help but marvel at how easily Eremis slipped into a more conversational tone in his human form. It made it harder to reconcile that the man beside him was the same as the tall, winged archdevil he was used to taking orders from.

Walter seemed to sink into his chair with a pained wince at the question. A little twinge of pride at the internalized frustration in his eyes flickered through Diogenes’s chest. But after the brief moment of self-pity, the wizard cleared his throat. “Yes. Well. It would seem that despite my best efforts … traditional methods aren’t exactly working when it comes to … fulfilling my end of the bargain.” He managed the last few words with a grimace of distaste. It didn’t surprise Diogenes much. Despite Walter’s deal with Eremis and the occasional sketchy methods he’d used to make good on it, Walter had typically held himself with integrity. Admitting out loud the dirty details of his pact probably left a bad taste in his mouth.

Eremis nodded thoughtfully after Walter finished. “I see. And where exactly have you had problems … delivering?”

The double meaning of the word made Walter cringe as he stammered a response. “I – well. It’s not that – I mean, I’m capable of – it just doesn’t seem t-to take, as it were.” His cheeks started to redden. “I’ve … seen women that I’ve … well. The problem isn’t necessarily them. Some have gone on to, I mean, after …”

“I see.” Eremis set his teacup down as he tented his fingers, looking intently over clasped hands to Walter. If Diogenes didn’t know for a fact that Eremis was loving every second of watching this arrogant human squirm, he’d think that Eremis was actually feeling sorry for the guy. “So, you’re having trouble impregnating a woman,” he supplied in a sympathetic, helpful tone that did nothing to put Walter at ease. “I did wonder that it took so long. You struck me as an intelligent man, Walter. I didn’t think it like you to procrastinate. Now I wonder if I should have offered more help,” he murmured to himself in every appearance of sincerity.

Walter’s eyes lifted from his mortified gaze on the floor to Eremis in surprise. “Y-you mean, you’d be willing to help?” Though guarded, Diogenes caught a glimmer of hope in his eyes.

Eremis held up a gentle hand with a practiced, rueful sigh. “I won’t lie, your being unable to deliver disrupts the plans I have in motion in Abriymoch. I would much rather spend time there serving Lady Fierna in her efforts to hold back the demonic invasion, but … alas. Here we are.” He let the words hang in the air for a moment. Walter swallowed audibly before Eremis continued with a firm nod. “I’ll do what it takes to keep things in motion, but most of my resources are currently tied up. But, first things first.” He reached into his vest and pulled out a folded bit of parchment. “Let’s look through your contract and figure out what can be done.”

Walter let out a soft sigh before giving a resigned nod. He moved closer to Eremis to look over the unfolded contract before lifting his gaze to meet the imp’s eyes. _Shit, why’s he looking at me?!_ Thinking quickly, Diogenes tried to cover his brief shock by setting his cookie down and giving Walter a tiny thumbs up with his little rat hand. “Don’t worry, I’m sure you can work something out!”

“Diogenes is right. The realm of possibility is endless, as I’m sure you know in your studies,” Eremis chuckled, keeping his gaze on the contract. Walter’s face remained impassive for a moment as he stared at Diogenes. After a few heartbeats, he managed a quick nod and turned his attention to the contract as well with renewed purpose. Their eyes skimmed over the parchment together before Eremis cleared his throat and pointed to a section. “Well. Here we have your obligations. ‘Your first child’ doesn’t leave much room for debate.”

“I would disagree,” Walter said slowly, his brow furrowed. “The language doesn’t specify that it has to be a biological child. It could be adopted.” Though he kept his face as blank as possible, Diogenes could see a hint of excitement behind the mask. His whiskers twitched in amusement at Walter’s hope.

Eremis pursed his lips slightly in thought as if actually considering the idea. “Hmm. I don’t think we should rely on that interpretation,” he cautioned, pointing to the noninterference clause. “Here, where you’ve specified the child’s protection as it’s carried to term, the language definitely implies the intent on your behalf to produce a new soul. And again here. You wouldn’t have specified protection without the intent to create a child, not adopt. The Diabolical Court has decided more on less certain grounds.”

A soft grunt followed Eremis’s words as Walter turned his attention back to the contract. His lips twisted in what Diogenes recognized as intense concentration as he read. “I could sponsor a child’s birth by another set of parents.”

“Unfortunately, you don’t have legal right to such a child. No,” Eremis said, shaking his head and pointing again to a relevant section of the contract. “Unless the terms of the contract specifically mark an individual for delivery, you’re required to create the child yourself.”

Had Diogenes not been looking directly at Walter when Eremis said this, he might’ve missed the way Walter’s eyes gleamed. Indeed, if Diogenes hadn’t spent decades studying Walter intently, he could have overlooked the subtle changes in his expression entirely. It was the type of flash of inspiration that struck him after hours of study, right before he would feverishly throw himself into his work with a renewed vigor. The tension seemed to bleed from his frame into a kind of confident energy, and Walter suddenly seemed twenty years younger. _Ah, shit. Now might be the time to start getting a tad worried._

“So if I understand correctly, Eremis,” the wizard said, turning away from the document to look meet the archdevil’s gaze directly. “I’m obligated to create a child for you.”

The bold move gave Eremis pause a moment, but his expression made no change save to smile faintly back at Walter. “Yes, that would be accurate.”

“And if I create that child through magic?” The words hung in the air, a sort of challenge on Walter’s behalf. Diogenes held his breath as he looked between the two.

Eremis raised a skeptical brow, but his smile never wavered. “Can you?” The words held no insult, merely indulgence.

“The realm of possibility is endless, as you say. If I need to create a child, create a soul for you, then does it matter how it happens?” Walter gave a shrug. “I’m aware it would be difficult.”

“It could be impossible," he countered. However, Eremis tilted his head slightly in consideration as he looked over Walter with renewed interest. “The text of the contract does have certain implications, like that it must be your child. Not _a_ child. _Yours_.”

Walter waved Eremis’s comment aside. “Leave the specifics of the process to me. If I’m successful, then I will have fulfilled my end of the bargain. If not …” he trailed off, and the newfound confidence seemed to fluster a bit before he cleared his throat. “I’m not without my skills. I’ll figure something out.”

“Of course,” Eremis agreed smoothly, folding up the contract and sliding it back into his vest. “And I’m sure you’ll have all the resources you’ll need for such high level magic here in Ianora.” The archdevil’s smile grew as Walter stilled, but only for a moment. “Oh, I meant the resources at your college. It’s one of the last bastions of magical study in the land, is it not? It’s one of the things that I’ve admired about Ianora. You’ve managed to maintain such levels of excellence, even while isolated on such a relatively small and safe peninsula. At least, so I assume, it’s been a long time since I’ve been to this corner of the continent. It’s that level of resourcefulness that makes it such a joy to work with mortals,” he added in an offhand matter.

“Of course,” Walter replied stiffly, but Diogenes saw the cogs turning beneath the surface: pride, self-interest, fear. His eyes flickered back to Diogenes before self-interest seemed to win out. “I … if my experimentations need certain reagents, notes, that kind of thing … perhaps we could do business?” The last words came out in a rush after his hemming and hawing.

Eremis tilted his head at the question. “Well, I could leave Diogenes here as a research assistant, if you’d like,” he suggested hesitantly as if the possibility only just crossed his mind. “He’s talented at procuring small items, though I do have need of him in Phlegethos. Anything more substantial would require quite more effort on my part.” _Of course, he’s going to make him beg for everything._

Frowning, Walter looked back to Eremis. “I could offer you my research notes after the fact for your help. You’d be the sole owner of the process. Creating a child magically could be lucrative knowledge.”

“Assuming success,” Eremis reminded gently. “And I’ve already assumed success in one deal with you.” There was a sort of firm finality in his words. 

_And there it is._ Walter sat heavily back in his chair at the reminder of his current failure. The fire wasn’t gone from his eyes, though. He was still holding fast onto hope. Diogenes wasn’t exactly sure what kinds of things this experiment could possibly need, but the way that Eremis was driving his bargain and Walter was just taking it made him think it was a lot. Creeping closer to the wizard, Diogenes set a comforting paw on his arm. “C’mon, Walter, think. What can you offer him?”

Walter’s eyes flitted from Eremis to Diogenes, and his fire turned cold with a sudden, grim realization. His gaze focused on a spot low on the tablecloth as he cleared his throat. “Introductions,” he said shortly. “Credibility.”

Eremis raised a brow as he leaned back into his chair and crossed his arms over his chest. “I trust you’ll explain.”

With a heavy sigh, the wizard nodded. “I have a position of respect in Aecion. A degree of trust. And I know my students well. I could …” he trailed off painfully before continuing with a grimace. “I know which ones are predisposed to … shortcuts. A random man wandering around Aecion without connections, without authority or prestige won’t get far. So.” He gestured between himself and Eremis. “I’ll make introductions. For your aid. I’ll claim you as a relative and vouch for your … I don’t know. Business, I suppose? An introduction, a lead for each major piece of help.”

A slow smile spread over Eremis’s human face as Walter spoke. “Introductions, and you’ll share some of your resources in helping me establish a cover as a merchant in Ianora. And of course, we’ll set up a base of operations here.” At Walter’s stricken look, Eremis raised a hand defensively. “Don’t worry, I’m not interested in ruining your reputation or leaving a trail back to you. You’ll be able to continue your life as you will, and I will simply establish myself in the community as a merchant. I’ve been discreet in our own dealings thus far, haven’t I?” The question was asked lightly, but Eremis’s piercing amber eyes seemed to bore a hole into Walter’s face.

“Yes, you have,” he replied grudgingly, though some of the tension dissipated from his shoulders.

“Besides,” Eremis added in a reasonable tone, “if I’m to be making deals with these wayward students of yours, I’ll hardly have time to spend in your business.” After a moment’s feigned thought, he nodded towards Diogenes. “Since I am going to be so busy, perhaps I will permit you to borrow Diogenes regularly. If nothing else, he can be responsible for collecting your research notes. That would make up for his absence. If you’re unsuccessful in your experiment, then perhaps your notes alone could pay for his time.”

Walter swallowed with some difficulty at the prospect of failure, then nodded. “As you say. I’ll fund you as a merchant and allow you to work from my tower, but I’ll need every moment of my time devoted to this research. I can’t be helping you in making pacts.” Diogenes had to stop himself from snorting with laughter at the thought. _Holy shit, Walter. Eremis needing help from you is like you asking a real rat to be your research assistant_.

The archdevil, of course, put it far more diplomatically than Diogenes could. “My dear friend,” Eremis said with a soft, sardonic chuckle, “I appreciate that you value my friendship so well that you think I would rely on you so heavily. Trust that I value you enough to know where you belong, and that I would never tear you from that place.”


End file.
